She was called China's 'ugliest' model, but look at her now

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She had small eyes, a flat nose, and a freckled face. She had never been praised for her beauty before.

Born in the countryside, the income of her whole family only added up to 600...

Surprisingly, she became the first supermodel from China to go international -- Lv Yan.

1

Lu was born in 1981. The whole family lives on the father's income of 600 yuan a month.

At that time, Lv Yan's yearned for a future life and thought,

“I wish I could earn 800 yuan a month when I grow up.”

After high school, Lv Yan's height has soared to 178 cm.

But because she felt inferior about her appearance, she tried to hunch her back and hide her chest for a long time, thinking that this would make her look shorter.

Later on, encouraged by her family, she enrolled in a physique class in the hope of correcting her hunchback.

During the training, the whole team had to go to Beijing to participate in a competition, but when someone couldn't make it, Lu was asked to fill it up.

It was then that Lv Yan met a stylist.

She will always remember the day, July 23, 1997, when she met him.

The man complimented her on her beauty. It was the first time anyone had complimented her on her beauty.

"She's not one of those first-sight beauties, but she's definitely going to be memorable. She has a very special face."

Li Dongtian, the famous stylist at that time saw her unique beauty.

He invited Lv to be the face of his company and had a custom-made photo of her with a freckled lily on Beijing's Wangfujing Street.

Her unique temperament does attract a lot of attention, but behind all these were the irony and criticism from some people.

2

When she was 19, she decided to go to France alone.

When she first came to France, she couldn't even understand the language.

“The first time I was photographed for a fashion magazine, the photographer kept saying don't move”

She didn't know what it meant and kept posing. "Until the photographer screamed" stop "and she stopped.

She started to do interviews at 8 am every day and didn't get home until 10 PM.

As time went on, she could only find time to study the language.

After shooting, she sought the photographer to exchange ideas, and carried fashion magazines to the art gallery for a day on weekends.

Lv Yan’s passion for learning about the fashion industry was getting stronger and stronger slowly.

Eventually, she was able to Shoot blockbusters for VOGUE, the fashion world's premier magazine; For DIOR, a famous luxury brand;

Ms. Lv gradually established herself abroad.

3

In 2000, Lv Yan returned to Beijing.

She decided to represent China at the World Supermodel Competition.

In this competition, Lv Yan won second place.

The previous best result for a Chinese model in the competition was fourth.

"I don't want to live in other people's aesthetic, I want to define my own beauty."

From a countryside girl who dreamed of earning 800 yuan a month to a supermodel on the international stage, Lv has worked hard to achieve this seemingly impossible dream.

She became China's first international supermodel.

4

But she didn't stop there.

Presently, she's going from model to designer!

She even had a name for her own brand, "Comme Moi".

She wants all the girls in her clothes to be independent, confident and strong.

But the reality is harsh.

When she went to the mall to see the fabric for the first time, no one paid attention to her because she only had a few designs. It took five months to make ten styles, and she dragged her friend to put them in a shopping store. However, but no one visited them for a week.

Lv Yan also secretly wiped away tears, thinking about whether to give up.

But in the end she stuck with it.

Although she has never sold clothes, years of runway experience has taught her what is stylish and comfortable.

In person, she went to the factory to communicate with the workers and changed the drawings again and again. Different from some international designs, Lv yan's design is both beautiful and practical.

Everything comes to those who wait. In 2014, after four years, Lv was finally able to bring her designs to a fashion show.

This time, instead of model Lv Yan, she was designer Lu Yan walking down the runway.

Sometimes it's more important to know what you want than what you have, as the independent Lv Always has done.

In a speech, Lv Yan once said:

"I never felt pretty, but I didn't feel ugly either. People still ask me if I want to get plastic surgery or get rid of freckles, but I never think about it. Let them argue. I've got too much to do to care what anyone else has to say."

From the "ugly girl" in the countryside to one of the world's top models to an accomplished designer, Lv yan has succeeded in pursuing the life that she wants.

Editor: Crystal H

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